Within the Gaze of Heaven
The First Question: Desire
"What is your Desire?"
The question was not spoken aloud.
It was pressed into the marrow of the soul.
It could not be evaded.
It would not be repeated.
The sun—no, the gaze of Heaven itself—pierced through every shield of the mind,
every lie worn like armor,
every dream borrowed from another's ambition.
And yet—not all could answer.
---
For many, the silence became a noose.
They waited for something to rise from within—
a word, a truth, a light—
But nothing came.
Why?
Because some had spent so long living for others,
they had never dared ask themselves what they truly desired.
Their dreams were not theirs.
Some clung too tightly to fear—
fear of failure, fear of judgment—
and so their souls remained shackled.
Some tried to think of an answer.
But thought had no place here.
Only truth.
And so, one by one, those empty of true desire began to fade from Heaven's presence.
No punishment. No explosion. No condemnation.
Just… a quiet dismissal.
A soft erasure.
They would awaken with the memory of pressure, light, and failure—
carrying a shame heavier than chains.
From the Heavens came Judgement.
[HEAVENLY JUDGMENT : DESIRELESS]
---
Kael
The pressure of the sun bore down on Kael. The presence of the Sun- formally known as Heavens, was simply too vast , too immense. It illuminated all his soul.
His whole being shuddered and under the illumination of Heavens reflected his True Desire on the endless black sea and sky, bathing them in colours. The colours of Desire.
And thus, from deep within his soul, a whisper of Truth rang out. One that has always been present and always nourished by his thoughts, actions and more precisely - by his dreams.
"To be free."
The Truth floated into the sky like a colourful cloud,
and spread across the sea like colourful fishes.
And from the Heavens came another voice:
[HEAVENLY JUDGEMENT: TRUE DESIRE]
---
Ayna
In the void of sky and sea, Ayna trembled.
Heavens cast down immense light which illustrates the soul. From deep within Ayna's soul, surfaces her innermost desire.
She looks mature on the surface, but her innermost self is like a child. Whose only desire is to unravel mysteries, seek knowledge and solve puzzles. These are the things that brings oure joy to her.
And thus, Truth naturally came out from the depth of her soul,
"To be wise."
Not just to know. But to understand. To unravel the mysteries no one else dared chase.
The heavens pulsed again.
[HEAVENLY JUDGEMENT : INNERMOST DESIRE]
---
Damian
Elsewhere, in a void of stormclouds and black waters, Damian stood—
Underl the illumination of Heavens, hia desires began to surface bit by bit, slowly eroding away the facef of calmness he showed around.
He saw his father's dynasty, his clan's domain.
He saw lands bent to their will, adversaries crushed, and kneeling kings.
And from the furnace of his ambition, the Truth burst forth like a decree:
"To be sovereign."
The black sea cracked with crimson light.
The sun above twisted slightly.
[HEAVENLY JUDGEMENT : BLAZING DESIRE]
---
Across the World
So the Trial continued, threading through cities, forests, mountaintops and prisons.
Books burned with sparks,
souls glowed and dimmed,
and the first step of the Heavenly Trial was complete.
Some emerged changed.
Some shattered.
Some unaware of what had truly happened at all.
And the Heavens were not done. They were far from being done.
---
Neo
In the endless mindscape of black sea and sky, the Heavens illuminated all.
But Neo's realm… was not like the others.
Where most stood alone beneath the vastness, Neo's consciousness bore a structure—an Obsidian Throne, jagged and towering, anchored precisely at the horizon where sky met sea.
Upon that throne sat a figure.
And behind it, another knelt.
Back to back.
One enthroned, one shackled.
The seated figure leaned forward, elbows on knees, a wild grin slashed across his face. His crimson eyes flickered with an unholy mirth, reflecting a crimson vortex like texture too unholy.
The one kneeling remained still, silent, shackled by broken chains that jingled faintly with every rise and fall of breath. His head bowed wirh resignation.
The sea around them was still. The sky above them was infinite.
And then—
the Heavens turned their gaze upon Neo.
No exception.
No hesitation.
"WHAT IS YOUR DESIRE?"
The question was the same… but something about the asking was not.
Lightning danced across the void, illuminating every crack in the obsidian. Thunder rolled across the sea. But the answer—
did not come quickly.
For others, the answer burst forth like a hidden truth forced into the light.
But Neo's soul did not speak, not immediately.
Whether the desire was too buried,
or too vast, even the heavens seemed… uncertain.
Then, a tremor.
From deep below the sea—no, deeper.
From beneath the sea of the sea of the sea—something surfaced.
The air cracked open.
The throne trembled.
The shackled figure behind it let out a breath.
And the seated one—his grin widened.
Above them all, the sky shuddered with the impact of the word that thundered without voice:
DOMINION.
TO DOMINATE THE SKIES.
The words did not echo.
They etched themselves into the void.
And suddenly, the sea boiled. The sky screamed with colors.
Neo's entire being ignited with an endless, maniac resolve—a flame fed by memories too dark to remember, and nightmares too bright to forget.
The crimson eyes of the seated figure gleamed like suns.
The shackled one behind him did not move.
Even the Heavens—timeless, unmoved by billions of souls—paused.
A single ripple passed through the sun above.
As though even the divine was not immune to awe.
And when judgment finally descended, it was not mere acknowledgment.
It was recognition.
[HEAVENLY JUDGEMENT : ETERNAL DESIRE]
----
A storm churned in his soul, a tempest that would never calm. Because the disaster that was suppressed for so long would only erupt in even more violent fury than ever before. Without anything to restrain it, the everything in its path would be left devastated.